Clothespin



Jan. 27, 1953 J. L. MACK, SR 2,626,439

CLOTHESPIN Filed June 9, 1949 HIN INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESPIN John L.Mack, Sr., Chicago, III.

Application June 9, 1949, Serial N0. 97,993

4 Claims.

'which laundry or other articles may be inserted and held in a clampedposition.

A still further object of the presentlnvention is the provision of aclothes pin er like fastener which may be formed into oval, circular orlike closed shape and provided with a stationary jaw and a coactingmovable jaw, between which laundry or other articles may be inserted andheld in a clamped position.

A still further object of the present invention is ehe provision cf aclothes pin made out of a single, continuous and resilient piece ofmaterial having a stationary jaw at one end, and a movable jaw ab theopposite end thereof, the latter normally contacting the former alongits inner face, between which jaws laundry or other articles may beinserted and held in a clamped position, said movable jaw being capableof being manually depressed away from said stationary jaw preparatory tothe insertion of the articles between the I:wo jaws.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a suitablemethod of forming a clotheg pin of the character hereinabove indicatedby molding the same out of plastic or like material.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of amethod of molding a cloohes p1n cf the character hereinabove indicatedWhich methocl may broadly include molding a clothes pin into such ashape as 120 cause ehe movable jaw to remain outwardly of the stationaryjaw and before the mold has completely seo, to bring said movable jaw tothe opposite side of the stationary jaw. to thereby increase theresiliency of said movable jaw.

With the above general objects in view and others that will appear asthe invention is better understood, the same consists in the novelconstrucoion, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter morefully described, illustratecl in the accompanying drawing, and pointedout in the appended claims.

In the drawing forming a part of th1s appl1cation and in which likedesignating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout theseveral views:

Fig. 1 is a s1de elevation of the clothes pin embodying the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the clothes pin in its form immediatelyafter the same has left a mold, When the pin is made of plastic orsimilar material; and

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the pin, illustratlng a step in the methodof moving the movable jaw past the stationary jaw in order that I;he

.former may bear against the latter from the epposite or inner facethereof.

Referring to the present drawing in detail there is shown'a pin whichincludes a stem II) having a lower bifurcated end to provide a pair ofspacecl bars II. The free end of each of said bars II terminates in anarcuate stationary jaw I2 which is directed outwardly from and upward-1y toward the median line coincidental with said stem I0. As is seen inFigs. 1 and 2, the outer free, lower end of each jaw I4 has at its outerWards its respective bar II, and there,on its inner face is providedwith a pair of spaced, substantially parallel extensions I3, which arein a transverse relation with the plane of Izhe pm.

Projecting frorn the upper end of stem I0 is a. pair of curved movablejaws I4 extending laterally and downwardly in opposite directions fromthe median line coincidental with stem II). The

free. 10Wer end cf each jaw I4 has at its outer face an integrallyformed ridge I5, which, in the operative position of the two jaws,enters into the depression defined by extensions I3, as clearly seen inFig. 1.

When laundry or any other object is inserted between stationary jaw I2anal movable jaw I4, the extensions I3 ancl the ridge I5 provicle meansfor preventing the object held by I:he jaws from slipping therefrom.

The movable jaw I4 is manually depressed and moved toward bar II, asindicated by the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, in a spacedrelation with respect Ishe stationary jaw I2 to facilitate Isheinsertion of the objects to be held. between the two jaws. pressure uponjaw I4 will cause the same to spring back into its normal operativeposition in contact with stationary jaw I2, as shown by the full linesin Fig. l.

AI; a point opposite stem III, each jaw I4 may be provided With aninwardly directed elbow I6, which tends to limit the fiexing of the jaw,that is will permit flexing thereof from elbow I6 downwardly, as isindicated by the dotted lines Discontinuation of the manual in Fig. l,thereby preventing cracking of the jaw above elbow I 6.

Stern II], bar II, jaw I2 and the base of jaw I4, all on their innerfaces are provided with reduced, strengthening rib I1. The outer face ofjaw I 2 is providecl With a similar rib I 8. Thus, ribs I'I and I8impart a sufficient degree of rigidity to prevent any flexing movementof the jaw I2. The outer face of each movable jaw I4 has a similar,reduced, strengthening rib I9 which, however, terminates adjacent ehefree end of the shiftable jaw I4 to provide clearance for insertion ofthe objects between jaws I2 and I4.

Said last named rib I9 fills the crotch defined by stem I and thebranching bases of the movable jaws I 4, and a portion thereof adjacentsaid crotch is formed into an eye 20 to form means for suspending theclothes pin from a hook, nail o1 the like.

The spaced bars I I define a slot 2I into which clothes line 01 the likemay be inserted and frictionally engagecl therebetween, and constitutesan additional alternate means for suspending 01 supporting the presentclothes pin.

It Will be observed that the inherent, flexing nature cf the materialout of which the pin has been formed, such as plastic, Will tend 170cause the movable jaw I4 to flex normally away from stem II! and bar IItoward the free end cf stationary jaw I2. It has been found however thatwhen plastic material is used for making the pin, such material in timeloses its fiexibility and resiliency, perhaps due to frequent manualdepressing of jaw I4 and its constant movement toward to 01' away fromsaid stationary'jaw I2, With the result that in time said movable jaw I4will assume a permanent position spaced away from stationary jaw I2,thereby rendering the pin inefficient due to the inability of the twojaws to clamp firmly the object placed therebetween.

T0 obviate the above undesirable result, the present method has beendevised and includes molding the clothes pin in the shape illustrated inFig. 2 and not in the shape in which the parts thereof assume theirultimate position, illustrated in Fig. l. The method contemplatesmolding the clothes pin so that the movable jaws I4 are disposedoutwardly of stationary jaws I2 and to some extent in a spaced relationwith the latter,

as is seen in Fig. 2. Just how much space there should be between jawsI2 and I4 depends upon the type of plastic employed, the degree ofultimate flexibility desired to be imparted to the movable jaws I4, andthe degree of the contactual clamping action of the latter uponstationary jaws I2.

When the clothes pin has been formed into the shape shown in Fig. 2, andbefore the plastic material employed. has completely set, the next stepin the method is 130 shift each of said movable jaws I4 in a lateraldirection from the plane of the pin, position shown in Fig. 3, 130 bringthe lower ends of jaws I4 out of the path of the upper ends ofstationary jaws I2. Next, said jaws I4 are pressed in the directiontoward stem I0 and bars I I, until the lower ends of said jaws I4 arepast the upper encls of jaws I 2. Thereupon said jaws I4 are movedlaterally into the opposite direction until they are within the plane ofthe pin. 'Ihis will automatically bring the 1ower ends of jaws I4 incontact with the inner faces of stationary jaws I2, with the ridges I5interposed between the extensions I3, as seen in Fig. 1. The pin is thenpermitted to completely 4 set, and thereafter, the jaws I4 Willpermanently retain fiexibility and resiliency, obviating the objectionhereinabove mentioned.

From the hereinabove description it will be readily seen that each sideof the clothes pin in effect constitutes a single continuous strip ofcurvilinear substantially C-shaped formation, having separatedoverlapping ends, which coact to define a stationary jaw and a movablejaw. Optionally the pin may be made just in that shape or clouble, as isshown in the drawing.

While there is described herein preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

l. A clothes pin comprising an elongated stem having a bifurcated end,each arm of said end having an arcuately shaped terminal sectionresicling in a common plane and extencling away from each other, and anelongated resilient; member extending laterally from each sicle 0f saidstem adjacent the other end thereof and disposed in said plane, saidmembers extending from said stem in a direction towarcl said arcuatelyshapecl sections, and the free ends of said members being movable towardand away from their respectively adjacent arcuately shaped terminalsections to cooperate therewith form two jaws of a clamp.

2. A clothes pin comprising an elongated stem having a bifurcatecl end,each arm of said end having an arcuately shaped terminal sectionresicling in a common plane and extending away fr0m each other, anelongated resilient member extending laterally from each side of suchstem adjacent the other end thereof, said members being disposed in saidplane, said members extending from said stem in a direction toward saidarcuately shaped sections, the free ends of said members being movabletoward and away from their respectively adjacent arcuately shapedterminal sections cooperate therewith 130 form two jaws of a clamp, alaterally extending elongated strengthening rib integrally formed onopposite sides of said stem, on one side of each arm, and a portion ofeach of said arcuately shaped terminal sections on one side thereof, anda laterally extending elongated strengthening rib integrally formed Witheach of said resilient members, said last-named ribs projecting awayfrom said firstnamed ribs, and all of said ribs beim; disposed in saidplane.

3. A clothes pin comprising an elongated stem having a bifurcated end,each arm 0f said end having an arcuately shaped terminal sectionresiding in a common plane and extending away from each other, anelongaterl resilient member extending laterally from each side of saidstem adjacent the other end thereof and disposed in said plane, saidmembers extending from said stem in a direction toward said arcuatelyshapecl sections, the free ends of said members being movable towetrdand away from their respectively adjacent arcuately shaped terminals6ctions 110 cooperate therewith to form two jaws of a clamp, and saidothr end of said stem having an enlarged portion projecting away fromsaid arms, said enlarged portion having an aperture extendingtransversely thereof 130 receive a clothes line therethrough.

4. A clothes pin comprising an elongated stem having a bifurcated end,each arm of said bifurcated end being spaced apart to form an elengateds1ot therebetween adapted to receive a. clothes line therein, each armof said end having an arcuately shaped terminal section residing in acommon plane and extending away from each other, an elongated resilientmember extending laterally from each side of said stem adjacent theother end thereof and. disposed in said plane, said members extendingfrom said stem in a direction toward said arcuately shaped sections, andthe free ends of said members being movable toward and away fr0m theirrespectively adjacent arcuately shaped terminal sections to cooperatetherewith to form two jaws 01 a clamp.

JOHN L. MACK SR.

REFERENCES CITED '1he followlng references are cf record in the fi1e 01this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Burke Dec. 2'7, 1910 StajanovitzDec. 9, 1919 White Dec. 19, 1922 Robb June 15, 1926 Reeves June 22, 1926Russell Dec. 16, 1930 Wel1s Jan. 19 1932 Marinsky et a1 May 30, 1939Davis Max. 11, 1941 van der Clute Feb. 2 1943 Read Aug. 22, 1950 FOREIGNPATENTS Country Date Germany Nov. 20, 1900 Great Britain of 1902Switzerland of 1911

